White Sand
by jocular monoceros
Summary: Shikamaru and Temari are travelling back from Suna to Konoha. Just a little moment they have together. Or two. Pairings: ShikaTema! That's a warning for anyone who doesn't like this couple. Thanks. Ciao.


**A/N:** Hey hey. Eh violaqu33n asked me for some shikatema in my other story so I wrote a completely different one haha and if Cassian-Brix happens to read this story too, here's some lighter stuff Lol

WARNING: This is a ShikaTema fic so if you don't support the pairing, don't read it.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Naruto_. All characters within this fanfiction belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

--------

**_White Sand_**

Temari cursed under her breath, shivering from the cold, a scowl plastered on her beautiful young face. She walked like a drunken man with her uneven steps and her short temper, blowing up at whatever crossed her path, be it tree, animal or human.

'Shikamaru! Why the hell did we take so long to leave Suna? I don't understand why we have to travel all the way back to Konoha in _this_,' Temari grumbled.

Shikamaru sighed. That was a great question. He knew it would come to this, Temari blaming_ him_ for taking so long to leave the desert. And yet was he the one that decided he wanted to stay a few extra days to make sure her genin were on a higher level than all the other genin? Was he the one that had _insisted_ they spend a few more nights together in Suna? Was he the one that decided to stay there for the opening of the new shops on some new road they'd been making? No! It was _her_! But it's not like he'd complained any more than usual because of it.

He decided it was best not to answer her.

'Oy, baka, don't ignore me!'

And with that said, Temari's hand automatically flew to the back of his head, causing Shikamaru to stumble a few steps forward.

Rubbing his head, his usual bored expression mirrored her own scowl. Glaring at her, he continued on at the pace he was walking, refusing to answer her, just for her annoyance.

'Oy! Shikamaru!'

He inwardly smirked to himself. He could hear the impatience in her voice. Instead, he looked up at the clouds, which he knew for a fact would annoy her even more. She hated when he looked up at the clouds when she was talking to him … not that there was really any nice fluffy clouds and blue sky to look at. The sky was all grey. Shikamaru sighed. At least it would annoy Temari.

Smack.

Shikamaru swore the lump on his head had grown its own lump. He wouldn't be surprised.

'Will you quit it, woman!' he hissed at her, rubbing his head once more.

'Baka, if you stopped ignoring me this wouldn't have happened!'

'Tch.'

Of course she'd twist it around like that! It wasn't even on purpose of course, she just had a naturally gift for it.

'You're so affectionate, _dearest_,' Shikamaru grumbled to her.

'Shut up.'

Her response was quick and tempered, but he knew she'd come around in the end. He just had to continue rubbing his head and wincing in pain and she'd regret hitting him so many times. Shikamaru had to admit that over the years her hand's ability to smack the back of his head was almost better than her fan's.

And yes, there it was. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Temari's own fleeting glances and unsure expression on her face. Her mind was battling and he knew it. And he loved it.

'Gah! I hate you!' she hissed at him before she closed the somewhat larger gap than usual between them and made to touch his head. Seeing his smirk, she lightly slapped his arm before she dragged him to a log to sit on where she would examine the bruises on his head. You'd think he would have grown thicker bones there after all the years of being smacked on the head, like calluses on your hands.

'Tch. Guilty as always, woman,' Shikamaru taunted, earning a rather painful jab to his bump.

'You irritate me.'

'I know. I do it on purpose.'

'I know. Jerk.'

Shikamaru smirked in response as she played with his hair. Looking at her, he noticed her skin was a little paler than usual, and he could see her breath in the cold air. He pulled her down to sit on his lap, embracing her.

'I thought you were used to the cold in Suna,' he said to her while she curled into a ball in his embrace.

'Yeah, in Suna. We're not in Suna anymore. We're halfway between there and Konoha,' she retorted with distaste. He smirked once more, rubbing her arms, trying to bring warmth to her body.

'But it's been colder at night there than it is right now,' he said to her matter-of-factly. She moved her head on a comfortable position on his chest before she answered.

'Yeah but there we stay indoors at night, we're used to it. The houses are made to be wind-resistant and are well-insulated to keep the hot winds of the day out and the cold ones of the night,' she said in a soft voice.

'I think you're well insulated,' he said to her.

She scowled once more at him before mumbling into his chest.

'Tch. Now who's the baby.'

Temari pinched his arm in response before she proceeded to place a small kiss on it.

'Honestly, woman, you're like cold fire. A complete contradiction.'

'An oxymoron you mean.'

'Yes, an oxymoron. The connotations are extreme and yet apparently they're one thing.'

'Tch,' she said, mimicking him, 'you make me sound so complicated. I'm not _that_ confusing.'

'Ha!' he exclaimed. 'Everyone else seems to think you are.'

She huffed in response.

'I don't blame them, I suppose,' she said after a while, playing with the pockets of his chuunin vest. 'I guess it is kinda weird that you, the laziest ninja of all time, is with the most troublesome woman of all time and I, the feminist kunoichi of Suna is interested in such a sexist shinobi.'

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. 'When you put it that way, yeah.'

She poked him with a smile, enjoying the jerky movements he made.

'Stop it, woman!'

She stood up from his lap, flashing him a genuine smile. That mischievous, lovely smile of hers that she saved just for him. His expression softened and he smiled back, taking her outreached hands and standing up with her.

'I guess we _should_ keep moving,' he said with a small sigh.

'Yeah, I don't want to freeze to death out here. We're about two days away from Konoha, right?'

He nodded as they continued their walk back to Konoha, pulling her closer to him as they walked.

'Why do you walk so far away, troublesome woman?'

She shrugged. 'Habit I suppose.'

As another breeze blew past her, she cursed the cold weather of the Fire Country, which caused Shikamaru to watch her with amusement. She was so easily annoyed.

'I take it you don't want to wear the coat I packed for you?' he asked her.

Temari's head snapped up to look at him.

'Eh? What coat?'

Shikamaru exhaled in mock annoyance, placing a dramatic hand on his forehead.

'The one I told you I was packing for you because you refused to do it yourself when I told you it would be cold on the way back.'

Temari looked away, refusing to give in.

'I wasn't aware of it.'

Shikamaru smiled and rolled his eyes, swinging the pack on his back around to take out her coat. Handing it to her, he watched the relief flood through her eyes, even if she didn't jump for joy at the site of it. Although, he knew she wanted to.

More walking, dinner, and a good night's sleep later and it was morning again. Temari, always first to get up out of the two of them, fixed her hair and grabbed her coat before she left to find food for them, leaving Shikamaru sleeping in the tent. She didn't mind doing it sometimes. Lazy as he was, she knew he had his moments when he would go get breakfast for them if he happened to wake before her. She was just used to being the one to wake up at the break of dawn.

As she stepped out of the tent, however, she was surprised at the alien sight before her. Everything was covered in white … stuff and it was colder than _ever_. Eyes wide in shock, she couldn't tear her eyes away from the site. It was beautiful, yes, but the glare hurt her eyes as well. The stuff was _everywhere_, atop the evergreen trees, beside their small and now extinct fire, and lacing the path which they had to travel. Looking at the ground before her, she brought an unsteady foot out and touched it.

It was kinda … squishy but freezing all the same. It reminded her of the sand in Suna, but this stuff seemed … more firm. Turning her back on the sight before her, she made her way back into the tent and sat by Shikamaru.

'Shika,' she said softly to him. He continued to sleep and she smiled. He looked so cute and innocent when he slept. She gently shook his shoulder, 'hey Shikamaru, come look at something for me.'

He grunted softly in response, reaching out a lazy hand to grope her. Temari rolled her eyes, pulling his arm down and squeezing his hand with her own.

'No, Shika, not that. Outside. Wake up!'

Eventually, after a few pokes, he forced his eyes open to see her staring at him. Yawning, he got up and picked up his own coat before Temari shoved him outside the tent.

'Look at it! What is it?' she asked him curiously.

Eyes still bleary, it took Shikamaru a few moments before he was fully awake and able to look at what she thought was _so _important that he had to get out of his sleeping bag. Looking around, Shikamaru looked back at her with an odd look.

She wasn't looking at him though. He watched the curiosity and awe etched on her face, the way she looked so transfixed by the image. Despite himself, he smiled. He supposed she hadn't seen this in Suna.

'It's snow,' he said to her, touching her arm gently. She turned her attention to him.

'Snow? Ah. That's right. I remember reading about that stuff. I've just never seen it before, not like this at least,' she said to him, allowing him to slide his hand down her arm and take her own in his. He gently pulled her towards him and she showed no resistance.

'So you've seen snow before?' he asked her as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and waist. He felt her smile.

'Yeah, on one of my missions but it wasn't this thick or deep or anything, just a few here and there. Baki told me what it was then.'

He held her tightly before he began to rub her warms once more to fight off the cold.

'Eh. It's not much. That's why I told you to bring the coat,' he told her, 'and the other shoes.'

Temari's eyes widened. She hadn't listened to him at all. Fortunately for her, apparently he knew that as well.

'Don't worry, I packed those for you too. He felt her tense body relax in his arms, and he kissed the top of her head.

'Come on, let's go change our shoes before we go have breakfast,' he suggested, releasing all but her hand as he turned to walk back into the tent. Temari didn't move.

He watched her carefully. Her eyes was still on the environment around her.

'Temari,' he called to her.

'Sorry, I'm just … fascinated, that's all,' she said, turning to him with a smile before she walked passed him back into the tent. He smiled and followed, still holding her hand.

'There's snow in Konoha too,' he told her as they gathered their things inside the tent. She looked up at him with that knowing smirk.

'I figured that much from being outside, Shikamaru,' she said to him.

He smirked back.

'Only then? I figured that _days _ago from when I first told you that we should leave for Konoha.'

He watched the anger fill her face and braced himself for her attack but he couldn't help it. She was just so fun to annoy. Smirking once more at her, he watched as she leapt from her place, abandoning sleeping bag that was halfway packed, and jumped onto him, pulling at his hair like there was no tomorrow.

'Nani?! What did you say, _baka_?!'

Shikamaru couldn't help but smile all the same. She'd stop soon enough. She liked his hair too much and the prospect of pulling it all out would mortify her. He hugged her tightly, minimising her movement, while she continued to try attack him.

After a few minutes, she'd give up and sigh and just result to calling him names.

And he'd just smile back, kiss the top of her head and tell her that he loved her too.

--------

**A/N:** There you go Reviews are most welcome Lol Just a nice sidestory to the seriousness I don't feel like writing yet.

Hope you liked it. If you didn't, eh, sorry about that!

jm


End file.
